Category Archives: Financial

Here’s What You Should Know About ESG Mistakes and Real Estate Sustainability with Sam Adams (Ep. 87)

March 29, 2023Financial, Investing, Sustainable InvestingDeep Impact Investing, ESG Mistakes, Financial Advisors, Financial Services, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Podcast, Real Estate, SRI, Sustainability, Sustainable Investing, Sustainable Investment Education, USSIF, Vert Asset Managementdeepimpactinvesting

What do real estate and sustainability have in common?

This week, Sam Adams, the CEO and co-founder of Vert Asset Management, unpacks the ins and outs of sustainable investing and the need for more sustainability in the real estate arena.

Sam shares Vert’s approach to educating and encouraging companies to take the next step in their sustainability journey while highlighting how the firm advocates for more sustainability in the financial services industry.

Sam discusses:

Sustainable investing and the need for more sustainability in the real estate industry
Some eye-opening ESG mistakes advisors might be making
The difference between ESG and SRI
Ways the real estate strategy fits into the sustainable investing model
An overview of the book he’s co-writing, “Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing”
What you should know about the Vert Asset Management fund
And more!

Resources:

“The Top 5 ESG Mistakes Advisors Make” by Sam Adams
Ep 57 – Sustainable Shareholder Advocacy with Leslie Samuelrich, Sam Adams, and Sarah Adams – Part 3
USSIF Courses
USSIF: Sustainable Investment Education
“Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing” by Larry E. Swedroe and Sam Adams
Ep 35 – 7 Tips For Choosing The Right Financial Advisor

Connect with Sam Adams:

Connect with Kimberly Griego-Kiel:

About Our Guest:

Samuel Adams is the CEO of Vert Asset Management. Sam is an environmentalist and a capitalist passionate about preserving and defending nature and has worked as an investment professional. He has 20 years of experience at Dimensional Fund Advisors, where he learned the power of the markets as an Investment Professional. Sam is passionate about making sustainable investing easier for financial advisors and their clients. He also holds a BA from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MBA from UC Davis Graduate School of Management.

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Koffee with Kim: Exploring Interesting & Fun Financial Aspects (Ep. 86)

March 15, 2023Financial, Investing, Sustainable InvestingAmerican Financial Reality, Cultures, Deep Impact Investing, Finances, Financial Health, Financial Security, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Households, Money Production, Personal Finance, Podcast, Races, Stats, Stock Exchange, US Debtdeepimpactinvesting

In this episode of Deep Impact Investing, Kimberly Griego-Kiel is all about unveiling the American financial reality.

This week, Kim takes listeners on a journey through the world of finance, from the history of the stock exchange to the current state of personal finances in the US.

Kim covers a range of interesting and surprising areas of finance, providing insights into the world of the markets and even the daily financial reality of ordinary Americans.

Kim discusses:

When was the first stock exchange established
The cost of producing money
The truth about US debt
Ways financial security varies depending on race, culture, and households
What you should know about being financially healthy: Some must-know stats
And more!

Connect with Kimberly Griego-Kiel:

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Critical Climate and Diversity Stakeholder Resolutions for 2023 with Andy Behar (Ep. 85)

March 1, 2023Financial, Investing, Sustainable Investing2023, Accountability, As You Sow, Business, Climate, Corporate Resolutions, Corporate Responsibility, Deep Impact Investing, Diversity Stakeholder, Environment, ESG, Food Systems, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Kimberly Griego Kiel, Plastics, Podcast, Portfolio, Social Justice, Stranded Assets, Sustainability, Transparencydeepimpactinvesting

How much do you know about corporate responsibility and sustainability?

This week, Andy Behar, the CEO of As You Sow, joins Kim Griego-Kiel to talk about the nonprofit organization’s role in shaking up the business world with its innovative environmental and social justice approach.

Listen in as Andy details the ins and outs of creating a more sustainable and equitable future for this and the years to come.

Andy discusses:

As You Sow’s vision and mission
The importance of climate action in the corporate resolution filings for 2023
The value of more companies incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion
As You Sow’s role in helping companies minimize the dangers of pesticides in our food system
What you should know about company transparency and accountability
Ways As You Sow is working to reduce plastic demand
What you should know about stranded assets
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Andy Behar:

LinkedIn: Andrew Behar

Connect with Kimberly Griego-Kiel:

About Our Guest:

Andy Behar is CEO of As You Sow, the nation’s leading non-profit practitioner of shareholder advocacy and engagement. With a 30-year track record of success, the organization advances values-aligned investing and uses shareholder power to compel companies to reduce material risk on issues including climate change; toxins in the food system; ocean plastics; diversity, equity, and inclusion; racial justice; and wage equity.

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2022 Market Overview: Winners and Losers with Johann Klaassen (Ep. 84)

February 1, 2023Financial, Investing, Sustainable Investing2022, 2023, Assets, Deep Impact Investing, Diversification, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Inflation, Market Performance, Marketplace, Podcast, Portfolio, Predictions, Sustainable Investing, US Dollardeepimpactinvesting

2022 was a year of market turmoil: The S&P 500 and the Russell 3000 were down by almost 19%, and the bond market also suffered a hit.

In this episode, Kim Griego-Kiel brings back one of our favorite guests, Johann Klaassen, the President and Chief Investment Officer at Horizons Sustainable Financial Services. Kim and Johann review the 2022 market performance while detailing the four areas that impacted the markets last year.

Johann discusses:

The Federal Reserve’s efforts to control inflation
The US dollar currency speculation
His market predictions for 2023
What you should know about diversification
The market’s role in sustainable investing
And more!

Connect with Johann Klaassen:

LinkedIn: Johann Klaassen

Connect with Kimberly Griego-Kiel:

About Our Guest:

Johann A. Klaassen, Ph.D., is Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for Horizons Sustainable Financial Services. His role is developing asset allocation strategies and overseeing investment policy for Horizons’ individual and institutional clients. As a passionate advocate for SRI, a skilled navigator of its intricacies, and an enthusiastic early adopter of just about every new communication tool and technology, Johann is informed, informative, and far more accessible than his many commitments might imply. He directly serves clients across the nation, tending to specialize in serving unusual and special circumstances or needs.

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Saving Honey Bees & Ecological Agriculture (Ep. 83)

January 18, 2023Financial, Investing, Sustainable InvestingDeep Impact Investing, Ecological Agriculture, Ecological Farming, Food Crops, Food Systems, Healthy Soil, Honey Bees, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, No Pesticides, Podcast, Pollinator, Research, Soil, Sustainable Agriculturedeepimpactinvesting

Honey bees are well-known and loved, but as the pollinator of 70% of the world’s food crops, their practical extinction is a cause for concern.

In this episode, Kim Griego-Kiel unpacks how optimizing plant and soil health with ecological agriculture can help preserve these essential insects. Kim shares the findings from her research into honey bees and explores the connection between environmental farming and the future of our most important pollinator — the honey bee.

Kim discusses:

Ways honey bees are contributing to our food systems
The truth about pesticides
Tips to protect honey bees and our health
How ecological agriculture helps preserve wild habitats and the soil
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Kimberly Griego-Kiel

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What You Should Know About The Conservation Work in Southern Africa — Part 2 (Ep.82)

January 4, 2023Financial, Investing, Sustainable InvestingAdventure, Africa, African Safari, Animals, Conservation, Global Sojourns Giving Circle, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Nature, Podcast, Safari, Travel, Wildlife, Zimbabwedeepimpactinvesting

In the first part of this two-parter miniseries, Kim Griego-Kiel detailed her incredible experience traveling to Zimbabwe and Zambia with Priscilla Plummer from Global Sojourns Giving Circle.

Now, in part two, Kim continues unpacking the memorable moments from her journey to Southern Africa. This time she outlines her safari experience and the conservation work happening in this region of the world.

Kim takes listeners on the journey of her game drive and shares the ins and outs of their conservation efforts. Listeners, get ready to get an account of Kim’s experience with prime wildlife viewing and hear about what activists in Zimbabwe are doing to conserve the water and wildlife in Southern Africa.

Kim discusses:

The efforts to preserve African wildlife in Zimbabwe
How her experience with wildlife viewing and being near animals changed her perspective on appreciating nature
The conservation efforts that are going on with water systems in Zimbabwe
How to get the best out of a safari experience
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Kimberly Griego-Kiel:

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Empowering Stories From Zimbabwe and Zambia (Ep. 81)

December 21, 2022Financial, Investing, Sustainable InvestingChange, Community, Cultural Understanding, Experience, Female Education, Female Empowerment, Gender Equality, Global Sojourns Giving Circle, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Philanthropy, Podcast, Southern African, Zimbabwedeepimpactinvesting

During Kim Griego-Kiel’s recent trip to Zimbabwe and Zambia with Priscilla Plummer from Global Sojourns Giving Circle, she visited the stunning Victoria Falls, experienced the rich culture of these nations, and took part in various activities.

But the most life-changing part of Kim’s trip was the time she spent with the boys and girls of the Global Sojourns Giving Circle family.

This week, Kim gives listeners a first-hand account of what it is to travel to Africa. She unveils the rich history she experienced, the connections she made with the locals, and everything she learned about life in Africa.

For anyone who has ever wanted to visit a country in Africa, this episode will provide you with lots of valuable information.

Kim discusses:

Her experience arriving in Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe’s history and culture
The wildlife and scenery she saw
The connection she made while spending time with the boys and girls of Global Sojourns Giving Circle
The eye-opening stories she heard from the boys and girls clubs and ways we can make an impact
The value of education for African youth
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Kimberly Griego-Kiel:

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Change Not Charity: Charitable Giving For Climate Change with Jack Chellman (Ep. 80)

November 30, 2022Financial, Investing, Sustainable InvestingCharitable Giving, Charity, Climate Change, Deep Impact Investing, Environment, Global Returns Portfolio, Global Returns Project, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Investors, Not-For-Profit, Podcast, Portfolio, Sustainable Development Goals, Taxesdeepimpactinvesting

The traditional process for giving money to charity can leave people feeling skeptical, but when it comes to donating to charities for climate change, applying a “fund management” approach can be the solution that makes a difference.

In this episode, Jack Chellman, the head of strategy and communications at the Global Returns Project, joins Kimberly Griego-Kiel to talk about the company’s Global Returns Portfolio. Jack explains how this portfolio works as a diverse, effective, and scalable not-for-profit tool designed to regenerate the planet and protect the environment.

Jack discusses:

Types of charitable giving
Ways the Global Returns Project works to support climate change with not-for-profit organizations to curate investments (not for financial return)
The 3 UN Sustainable Development Goals this organization targets
Ways individual investors can get involved and the role of taxes when it comes to charitable giving
The difference between donating stocks and cash
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Jack Chellman:

To contribute, please click here:

Organization Name: The Global Returns Project Limited
Charity Number: 1186683

Connect with Kimberly Griego-Kiel:

About Our Guest:

With a background in journalism and social advocacy, Jack Chellman transitioned to environmental work out of concern for issues of intersectional climate justice. A Marshall Scholar, Jack holds an MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History from the University of Cambridge. He also earned an MSc with distinction in Media, Power, and Public Affairs from Royal Holloway, University of London.

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VegTech™ Invest, The Revolution in Plant-Based Innovation ETFs ⁠— Part 2 with Elysabeth Alfano (Ep. 79)

November 16, 2022Financial, Investing, Sustainable InvestingAnimal-Free Meat, Climate Change, Deep Impact Investing, EATV, ETF, Food Innovation, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Kimberly Griego Kiel, Plant-Based, Plastic, Sustainability, Vegan, VegTech™ Investdeepimpactinvesting

Plant-based innovations in food play an important role in solving food insecurities.

So, how do we reduce plastics in packaging without using animal-based materials?

In this episode, Elysabeth Alfano is back to explore the ins and outs of our current plant-based revolution. Elysabeth sheds light on investing in animal-free meat and the reasons we need to move away from plastic packaging.

By exploring market trends and reviewing the different sustainable options in food and packaging around the world, Elysabeth also explains ways that climate change and food injustices will translate to the bottom line.

Elysabeth discusses:

The five plant-based sectors that VegTech™ Invest is funding and why
Ways the firm is investing in reducing plastic using animal-free material supply systems
How Anheuser-Busch is supporting precision fermentation to create animal-free meat
Ways you can invest in VegTech™ Invest’s EATV with little capital
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Elysabeth Alfano:

Connect with Kimberly Griego-Kiel:

About Our Guest:

As the CEO of VegTech™ Invest and the advisor to the VegTech Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF, EATV, Elysabeth Alfano combines her business leadership and investing experience in the plant-based business arena. Helping to define and grow the new investment sector of Plant-based Innovation, her expertise is investing in the companies that are innovating with plants to produce animal-free products for sustainable consumption.

A sought-after speaker, Elysabeth discusses the intersection of sustainability and the global food supply system on radio, TV, at conferences, in boardrooms, and, most recently, at the United National Global Leaders Compact Summit. She also hosts a weekly Plantbased Business Hour interview show.

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What You Should Know About Investing in Food & Plant-Based Innovation with Elysabeth Alfano (Ep. 78)

November 2, 2022Financial, Investing, Sustainable InvestingETF, Flexitarian, Food, Food System, Horizons Sustainable Financial Services, Impact Investing, Investors, Kimberly Griego Kiel, Meat, Mega Trend, Plant-Based, Sustainable, Vegan, VegTech™ Investdeepimpactinvesting

Changing what you eat has an impact on the planet, but changing how you invest has an even bigger influence.

Investing in plant-based innovations has become more accessible. And a new plant-based innovation ETF is bringing us closer to a more sustainable food system.

This week on Deep Impact Investing, Elysabeth Alfano from VegTech™ Invest details how the firm supports individual investors and companies working with plants to replace animal products and some of the eye-opening foods and products coming to the growing vegan and plant-based arena.

Elysabeth discusses:

Reasons the plant-based marketplace is a mega trend and how you as an investor can participate in its growth
Why VegTech™ Invest created EATV, a plant-based innovation ETF
Timelines and innovations coming to the vegan and plant-based sector
What you shouldn’t know about cultivated meat
And more!

Resources:

Connect with Elysabeth Alfano:

Connect with Kimberly Griego-Kiel:

About Our Guest:

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